The invention relates to time delay fuses.
Time delay fuses often employ trigger mechanisms in which a spring-loaded plunger is retained by solder that slowly heats up at low overload conditions. If the low overload condition is sustained for a sufficiently long period of time, the solder melts, releasing the plunger and breaking the circuit. In one type of configuration employing a trigger mechanism, the plunger and spring are located in a metal shell that is soldered to an end cap terminal. In this type of configuration, during manufacture, when melting the solder that connects the shell to the end cap, care must be taken to avoid melting the solder that retains the plunger.